Three Years Behind
by ostensible
Summary: Nathan and Lucas Scott are twin brothers.  They form a relationship with their neighbor, Haley James.  This is her survival story of going through puberty, high school, a first love, tragedy... and everything else.  NH, JP, and BL.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Hello, readers! This is a brand new story that I was inspired to write about. With the current OTH hiatus (transitioning from Season 4 to 5)… I've got to suppress my OTH cravings, somehow. As for my other stories, I'm working on those, as well. If anyone is wondering, they will not be 'incomplete' forever! Leave any comments, feedback, suggestions/ideas! **Constructive **criticism is welcome! So, anyway, hope you guys like this one.

Enjoy,

_**SJ**_

_**Author's edit:** I wanted to change the formatting because for some reason my mini line breaks disappeared! :( So, I put in the big ol' line breaks for the convenience of you readers! Also, I changed some of Haley and Peyton's heart-to-heart based on a suggestion from a reviewer at the . They just sounded way too old to be 11-years-old, so thanks **laffertyluvsme**._

**Summary:** Nathan and Lucas Scott are twin brothers; children to Dan and Karen Scott. They form a lasting relationship with their neighbor, Haley James. The three go through the different stages of life, Haley, always a little bit behind, being three years younger. Suddenly, her outlook on life, friends, and love changes as she sees a particular Scott brother in a new light. This is her survival story of going through puberty, high school, a first love, tragedy, and everything else a teenage girl has ever had to go through. A different approach to a Naley story. NH, JP, and BL. (**Disclaimer:** Everything and anything related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property of its owners, writers, and producers).

* * *

**CHAPTER 1** – A Change in Seasons

"Nathan! Lucas!"

Haley James, still clad in her pajamas, stood on her neighbor's driveway screaming. Her four-year-old voice was shrill and disturbing, especially around 8AM on a Saturday morning. A dog barked in response, some ten houses down on their charming street.

Five minutes had passed, what seemed like an eternity for such a small girl, so much so that tears began to form in her doe-like eyes.

"Nathan?! Lucas?!" She cried out their names in between tiny sobs.

"Haley Marie James! Get inside this house, right now!"

Haley turned around reluctantly to see her mother in her bathrobe with a very unhappy look adorned on her face.

"But, Mommy! Nathan and Lucas said that they would play with me today!"

Mrs. James couldn't help but to smile at her daughter's antics. She had noticed the half-eaten bowl of cheerios on the breakfast table. And the color-changing spoon that Haley _had_ to eat with had been sloppily tossed nearby, surrounded by a tiny pool of milk. The following screams of her daughter's voice had given away her whereabouts.

"Haley-bub, it's too early for you to be yelling outside. Everyone is still sleeping,"

Knowing better than to disobey her mother, she stomped her small feet toward the house, her bottom lip wearing the biggest pout she could manage.

"I hate them!" She angrily said, her tears now flowing gently down her rosy cheeks. She raised her hands toward her mother, waiting for her to pick her up and comfort her during her emotional time of need.

"What did Daddy and Mommy say about _that_ word?" Lydia James carefully reminded her daughter, as she lifted her swiftly.

"Not to say it," she answered in a timid voice.

"That's a good girl. You finish your breakfast, clean up, and watch your cartoons, okay? Then, at 10:00 you can go knock on Mrs. Scott's door and ask nicely, if the boys can play, okay?" Bringing a free hand to her child's face, she wiped away her needless tears.

As she carried Haley inside, her husband came down the stairs, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. Seeing the obvious tearstains on his baby girl's face, he perked up immediately.

"Haley-bub, what's the matter?"

"I'm okay, Daddy. Mommy says I just have to wait till ten o'clock,"

Confused by her answer, he ran his hand over her head, fluffing her blonde curls before looking at his wife for an explanation.

"The girl's four and she's already crying over boys," She sighed only like a worried mother would.

Haley paid no mind to the brief exchange between her parents. All she could think about was when ten o'clock would roll by and she could finally play with her two favorite friends in the whole world—Nathan and Lucas Scott.

* * *

The James had moved to Tree Hill, North Carolina, as a young couple with their only daughter. Haley was their precious little girl. Unfortunately, they were unable to have any more children, so when she cried or innocently asked for more siblings, her pleas could not be answered. When she discovered that her neighbors were close in age, she found an almost sibling-like companionship with the Scott brothers. Nathan and Lucas were a pair of fraternal twins, three years her senior, who couldn't help but to return the same affections to their newfound friend.

The boys were a definite contrast, yet complimentary to one another, much like a yin-yang. Lucas was older by a mere ten minutes—Nathan had been a bit stubborn. The older Scott had sunny blonde hair and a pair of crystal blue eyes. His freckles would fade in and out as the seasons changed and he was taller by at least an inch. Nathan had dark brown hair, nearly black, yet had the signature Scott baby blues, though darker than his twin brother's. His complexion was olive, always a shade darker than his brother. He was a mirror image of his father.

The two boys were raised tenderly by their mother, Karen Scott. Karen was a gentle woman who had the ability to show love whether from a hug or from a scolding—she just had that magic. Their father, Dan Scott, was a different story. Dan and Karen had been high school sweethearts. Shortly after learning of Karen's pregnancy at the age of nineteen, they decided upon marriage. Mr. Scott was a legend around town from his earlier years as the Tree Hill High Varsity Captain for the basketball team, "leading them to the State Championship and finishing off with a glorious win" in his senior year. These were the very words not only from the man, himself, but those that never got past those golden days.

Like all seven-year-old boys, they were competitive but had an undeniably close relationship. As soon as they could walk and maintain their hand-eye coordination, Dan enrolled them in basketball youth leagues. He was determined to have them continue the Scott legacy. He somehow figured that creating a rift between the two would force them to push themselves harder, but he never won. Their bond was too great.

And now, with little Haley involved they had become the intertwined braids of a tight rope.

People came and went on their street; but those two families were a constant in each others' lives and a history began to develop in their private part of the world.

* * *

_Seven years later…_

Haley sat at her vanity, a recent purchase her parents had made. She admired the wooden engravings along the mirror, coated in a pearly white paint. To her it signified some sort of change in her life, along with the new set of plain white panties, without the teddy bears or flowers, and matching training bras folded neatly in her new matching dresser. She'd fought the changes making their appearance on her body. Her breasts started showing and she wasn't sure she liked it. In the movie, _Now and Then_, Christina Ricci's solution to these hormonal developments had seemed interesting, but Haley wasn't feeling drastic enough to wrap herself up in duct tape.

She already had too much to worry about. In one year, she'd be entering middle school and again, she'd miss the chance to be in school with both Nathan and Lucas. They'd be starting high school. She ached with jealousy at the thought of high school girls and their bigger boobs and their make-up. She hadn't always felt like this.

At one point, her love for the Scott boys was of pure innocence. She just liked how they treated her like their family, like a sister. Then, a new wave of emotions settled in as a different kind of love replaced the old. She knew her relationship with Lucas had not faltered. The comfort and safety she felt from him had abandoned her, though, when it came to his brother. She felt herself distancing from Nathan; but, it wasn't because she liked him less. The final wave crashed down upon her like a storm: **she had a crush on Nathan Scott**. It was when she'd made this realization that she started to appreciate her sudden 'hormonal developments'.

A breeze drifted through the crack of her window, sending in the aromas of a warm spring day and the echoes of a ball striking concrete repeatedly. Haley grinned excitedly at the familiar sound and quickly ran a brush through her golden waves, pulling it up into a pony-tail.

"When's practice, again?" Nathan asked his brother while sending a basketball effortlessly through the hoop.

The two boys changed spots on their driveway basketball court, as Lucas got ready to make his shot.

"Nate, I've told you like a billion times already. You have the worst memory,"

Nathan sighed at the remark. He did admittedly have a problem paying attention, _sometimes_. He hated situations like this one when his brother was right and he was wrong… once again.

He threw the ball with a bit more force than necessary at his brother, after catching it as it fell through the net. Caught off guard, the ball hit Lucas' hand, crushing his fingers.

"Shit! Ouch!" Lucas yelled out in pain.

A tiny gasp came from behind him, followed by a patter of footsteps.

"Lucas, are you okay?" Haley asked, kicking the ball onto the front lawn and turning her attention to his hand.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry about the cussing," He sheepishly apologized as he gently rubbed his now reddened and throbbing right hand.

"It's okay! I'm not a little girl, you know…" She replied defensively.

Watching the two interact only added fuel to Nathan's current temperament. Where it was coming from, he wasn't so sure. What were they? Boyfriend and girlfriend? He fought back the urge to ask. It wasn't like he liked her or anything—she was only a sixth grader. He assumed it originated from the already competitive mood that Lucas had put him in. Yet, he couldn't help but to glare at the pair.

"I'm going inside to put some ice on it. You wanna come in and watch a movie or something?" He asked Haley, choosing not to get into it any further with his brother.

"No thanks,"

"Alright, see you later, Hales,"

Nathan still stood there, his arms crossed and making a show of turning away as his twin walked past. Haley picked up the ball from the freshly cut grass and walked towards Nathan, holding it out towards him like a peace offering.

"Are _you_ okay?"

He wasn't surprised by her question, but it never ceased to have that warming affect on him. Even though, he'd been the wrong one, she cared just as much about him as she did Lucas.

"I'm fine," He said, taking the ball into his own hands.

He made a point of avoiding her eyes, focusing on the bumps and ridges on the worn basketball. He knew she'd be staring him down, though, and finally relented with a sigh.

"I just hate it when he acts like a know-it-all,"

"What did I say about _that_ word?" Her intonation matched her mother's perfectly.

Nate rolled his eyes, but answered, "I _don't like_ it when he acts like a know-it-all… like he's better than me,"

"I know! Especially, since I'm the know-it-all. I am totally better than everyone else," She huffed jokingly, waiting for him to crack a smile.

Hearing his burst of laughter, a feeling of relief washed over her body.

"You're a funny girl, Haley James,"

She scrunched her facial features in response and stuck out her tongue, causing him to laugh again.

'He may not be ready to take me seriously, but at least this way it won't be obvious how seriously I take him.' She thought to herself optimistically.

"Feel like playing 'HORSE'?"

"Hmm… I don't know… feel like getting your butt kicked by a girl?"

The laughter and occasional screams could be heard far off in the distance, echoing through Oak Street along with the steady dribbling of a basketball on fresh pavement.

* * *

"You want to sleepover this weekend?"

"Mm… I'll ask my parents, but I don't know if I can,"

School was officially done with. Haley and her classmates were already in that rebellious summer phase, even more so because they had completed their last year at elementary school. After a half-day of school, she and her best girlfriend, Peyton Sawyer, were still lingering on the playground, seated at a swing-set.

"Hales, don't be a party pooper,"

"You did _not_ just say 'party pooper'. That is _so_…"

"So what? So… fifth grade?" Peyton offered, never lacking of sarcasm.

The two girls were so alike in some ways with their similarly textured blonde hair and tom-boyish tendencies. But, Peyton was gutsy at times when Haley knew she needed to be. Mrs. Sawyer had been diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer. Instead of moping around like anyone else, Peyton stepped up by helping her father and never losing faith. Maybe it was because she didn't understand the severity of the illness or that she simply chose not to. She wanted to let her Dad know that there was still hope because then, she could convince herself the same.

Haley rolled her eyes, but couldn't help to smile. She didn't want to be an alleged party pooper, but she knew that Mr. Scott was shipping the twins out to basketball camp this summer. She wanted to squeeze in whatever time she could with them.

"Are you nervous about next year?" Haley asked suddenly.

"Oh my God, Hales… the first day of summer hasn't even finished and you're here whining about next year! You've got to get out more or something," Peyton teased. She dropped her head back, gazing at the cloudless blue sky.

"Yeah, okay… why don't you pick me up later on your five-speed bike and we'll go catch a movie at the theatre?" Haley sarcastically snorted.

"Please don't let that be my bitchiness rubbing off on you,"

"P. Sawyer! Language!"

"I hate it when you talk like that..." Haley had a smart comeback hanging on the tip of her tongue, but then her friend added, "It... it reminds me of my mom,"

"Peyton, she's not dead." Most people would find Haley's remark blunt and insensitive, but Peyton appreciated the toughness.

"I know. She's just more worried about being around… I… I don't blame her. She has a lot of stuff to think about all the time. She just gets tired and well… I just wish that she wouldn't have to worry about anything else… except me. Am I being selfish?" Her voice had softened and she slumped into her swing, staring out into the distance.

"You are not selfish. You're just a normal girl that gives a crap about her mom. You don't have to pretend... it doesn't make it feel any better,"

Haley looked away as soon as she saw her friend roughly wiping tears from her face.

"Want to come home with me? We can make cookies… watch stupid movies… and… I'm sure that _Lucas_ will be home," Haley sing-songed playfully.

This time, Peyton rolled her eyes. "Which means that _Nathan_ will be home, right?"

Haley flushed immediately. Why was it so hard for her to act nonchalant whenever Nathan came up?

"Aw… are you blushing? You asked for it… I don't know where you get this crazy idea that I like Lucas,"

"Well… he likes you…" Haley said, wishing the burning in her cheeks would vanish.

"Yeah, well, it takes two to tango and I _do not_ like him. I mean, you were so right about the whole brother thing with those two. I cannot imagine them as anything more than friends slash brothers slash best friends with my best friend,"

Haley laughed at her honesty and smiled a bit wistfully. She'd give anything for Nathan to like her.

"But, okay, I'll go home with you. Let's start walking! I know you want every minute you can get with… Nathan,"

As soon as Peyton said this, she grabbed her book bag and was already sprinting down the wooded path towards Oak Street, her laughter reverberating through the trees. Haley was right on her tail, screaming after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Hi, everyone! I've had such writer's block. I hate that. Ughhh… anyway! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and hope you guys will enjoy it too. I can't wait for Season 5! So excited! And Nathan's long hair is really weird and ugly. But, Haley's hair is so cute and beautiful. And the baby actor is too cute! I love Naley + 1.

I probably won't update for a while, so I just want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and always an awesome New Year! Are there Nintendo WII's, anywhere?? Heehee. Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Peace and Blessings,

_**SJ**_

(**Disclaimer:** Everything/anything related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property to its owners, writers, and producers—_love those people_).

* * *

**CHAPTER 2** – Little Red Cherries

It was early July and like typical suburbia children Haley James and Peyton Sawyer were bored. Sprawled out on the James' backyard deck, one read a book from the summer reading list while the other flipped casually through the latest issue of _Seventeen_.

Haley shifted uncomfortably from lying on her front and placed the worn text of _The View from Saturday_ down onto her towel. Lucas had pretty much given her the copy, which probably meant that Nathan had read it… or at least touched it. She'd been reading it every night, falling asleep with the novel still in her small hands, so she only had a few more chapters to go.

"How can you read that stuff? We're not even seventeen,"

She scrunched her face in observation of her friend who seemed engrossed in an article about PMS.

Peyton sat up, crossing her legs like a pretzel and faced her best friend.

"Just because you already have your period and I don't, doesn't mean I can't prepare myself," she stated defensively.

"Trust me… nothing can prepare you for a having to wear diapers again and stomach cramps," Haley offered.

"Hahahahaha…" Peyton laughed loudly, rolling around on her beach towel.

Haley giggled with her, the sun having a slight dizzying affect on her.

"Hey, you wanna go to see if the boys are up yet?"

"What time is it?

"It's 10:52." Peyton confirmed, reading off her waterproof digital wrist watch.

"Well… it's not even 11, yet. How about we just ask my mom to take us to the pool, instead?"

"What? C'mon, Hales. If your mom takes us, we'll probably only be able to stay for an hour. But, if Luke and Nate take us, we can hang out all day! Don't forget! They're over thirteen and we're definitely under…"

"How can I forget?"

Haley's rhetorical question came out with a pout. She looked down at her new two-piece swim attire, inwardly hoping that maybe, she could convince her mom otherwise.

"You look fine! And that swimsuit is really cute," Peyton exclaimed, noting her friend's insecurity.

"I don't wanna be cute! I just want to be normal!" She huffed, turning away abruptly.

When she had chosen the bikini earlier that spring with Peyton, it had been on sale and as usual, her best friend had influenced her final decision. The white boy shorts and halter top dotted with little red cherries wasn't really her style. But, Peyton really had a way with words and explained that just because you dress girly, didn't mean you had to actually _be_ girly. There was a difference somehow.

"Haley? Are you mad?" Peyton softly asked her from behind.

Haley sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. She turned to meet her friend's eyes.

"You know I'm not mad… especially not at you. I'm just… I feel weird wearing this thing!"

"Don't feel weird! I'm wearing a bikini, too. Except I have to stand next to Miss Big Boobs over here, so—"

"HEY!"

Peyton laughed hard, knowing well that she'd lightened the mood.

* * *

Both girls stood at the front door to the Scott residence. Without hesitation, Peyton pressed on the door bell, purposely leaving her finger on for an extra second or two. Haley eyeballed her warningly. Thank God that Mr. and Mrs. Scott weren't home, she observed from the empty driveway.

"You've gotta be kidding me. They're still asleep?" Peyton complained while tapping her flip-flop clad feet against the concrete.

"Come on… let's just go ride our bikes or something…" Haley suggested, shrugging her shoulders. She was a little disappointed that for the second time that day, she wouldn't be able to see either brother. She turned to walk down the steps, when she heard the door open. But, rather than seeing a Scott brother poke his head out, she watched as the last of her friend's yellow flip-flop disappeared into the house.

"Peyton!" She hissed, trying her best to whisper.

As many times as Haley had been in the Scotts' home, Mr. and Mrs. Scott probably wouldn't appreciate the two girls sneaking into the house like that and she knew her mom wouldn't like it, being that there was no adult supervision. Haley shut the door behind her and caught her mischievous friend waiting patiently at the top of the stairs.

"Come on, Haley," Peyton whispered loudly.

"I hate you, sometimes," She said through gritted teeth, but continued to follow her up the stairs, anyway.

Automatically, Peyton stepped in front of Lucas' bedroom door as Haley did the same for Nathan's. Haley had been used to the combined room that the boys had shared, up until recently. Personally, she'd liked it that way, so that the three of them could hang out altogether. But, as soon as the boys graduated middle school, their parents granted them separate rooms. To Haley, it was just another reminder of growing up and that she'd have to keep up or get left behind, whether she liked it or not.

Looking to her left, she could see that her best friend had already gone in for the kill. She found herself wishing for Peyton's courage often and at that moment, that same hopefulness filled her lower tummy with fluttering butterflies.

She nudged the door open to Nathan's bedroom, immediately recognizing a Michael Jordan poster that hung so proudly above his bed. Her eyes rimmed round with surprise, though, at a newly taped up poster of a Sarah Michelle Gellar. She stared enviously at the vixenish vampire slayer. As little as Haley did curse, she couldn't help but to mutter, "Bitch."

A heavy breathing interrupted her thoughts, though. Her gaze turned dreamy and her lips curved upward to see a shirtless Nathan, tangled in a UNC comforter. She treaded forward in soft steps, testing his consciousness. When a floor board creaked under her weight, she froze. She waited for his reaction and when none came, she advanced further until she was beside his bed.

Waving her hand mere inches away from his face, she decided that he was still asleep. Not to prolong her trip to the pool any longer, she inhaled a deep breath, preparing to yell at the top of her lungs, when suddenly—

"AH!" Haley screamed.

Nathan had, in fact, been awake, and Haley now found herself apart of the mess of baby blue sheets and comforter on his bed with him.

"Hales, there's a reason my mom got me an alarm clock," he said, his voice husky with sleep.

She gulped quietly, feeling his arms that had so discreetly snaked its way around her waist and to top it off she wore nothing over her two-piece. The feel of his bare chest against her back sent a warming sensation throughout her body, flooding her cheeks with red. Letting out a deep breath, she tried to pull herself up, when she felt his grip tighten.

"Five more minutes," Nathan whispered coaxingly.

Haley grunted with frustration, hoping to mask her discomfort with sheer annoyance. When she received no response, she twisted her lithe body, trying to pull away from his grasp. Talk about a mission impossible. She gave up, but couldn't deny the giddiness she felt inside.

Spooning her from behind, Nathan let one eye open surprised to see her dressed in nothing, but a two-piece swimsuit. Admiring the detail of the little red fruits, he couldn't remember the last time that Haley wore something so… girly. The one thing he did recall was how quickly she was… well, developing. She was beginning to look like the girls in his grade, though not as tall. In fact, from the back, her curves seemed to fill out the swimsuit very nicely. Silently, he wondered what the front looked like.

And like many young preteen males, Nathan was discovering that a lot of the time, puberty had a mind of its own for his nether regions seemed to agree with what his eyes approved; whether he liked it or not. At the same time that he noticed this, he found his twin brother and Haley's scrawny friend planted at his front door—immediately the boyish grin on his lips disappeared.

Lucas looked a bit dumbfounded, on top of his bed head blonde spikes and half-closed eyes, while Peyton's expression wasn't far from it.

A few seconds of stillness hung heavy in the air. Nathan sat up instantly, needing to get as far away from Haley as possible, while she remained dead still. Her innocent of act of waking up Nathan had turned into a lot more, or so it seemed as Lucas looked on with confusion. Bringing her eyes to meet her girlfriend's, she could see that Peyton, though, was already on the ball.

"Ahahaha! And I thought Luke looked like shit in the morning!" Peyton cackled, drawing attention away from Haley and Nathan's awkward position.

She dramatically held herself by grabbing onto the door knob, shaking with laughter, causing the three other friends to do the same.

* * *

"Thanks," Haley said quietly.

"For what? Nathan did look like shit. And anyway, what's the big deal? Lucas acted like he saw a ghost, when he saw you guys in bed," Peyton replied, trying to keep her voice low.

"Yeah, that's the problem—_in bed_. But, we've had sleepovers before and I'm sure we've fallen asleep next to each other. With Lucas even. And seriously, Peyt, you had about the same look on your face as Luke did," Haley said somewhat dejectedly.

Haley played with a plastic apple from the centerpiece of the Scott's breakfast table. The two girls waited patiently as the boys got ready upstairs.

"Well, I don't think you ever wore a bikini to your slumber parties…" Peyton implied.

"I bet you if Sarah Michelle Gellar walked in wearing a two-piece, they would've reacted totally different. Nathan would've noticed, first off, and Lucas wouldn't stare at me like I'm a walking freak show,"

"Hales, cheer up. Plus, too bad we're eleven… and Sarah Michelle Gellar is like… old… and where the heck did Sarah Michelle Gellar come from? Whatever. Anyway, speaking of freak shows—I'm gonna go check on the boys,"

Peyton stood up abruptly tired of sitting around in the perfectly primped Scott kitchen, when she could be playing Marco Polo and getting a tan for once in her life.

* * *

"Thanks,"

"For what?"

"Making me look like a jack ass," Nathan hissed, pushing his brother slightly.

"What the hell did I do?" Lucas asked irritably in a hushed tone.

"You acted like I was molesting Haley or something,"

"Were… were you?"

"What?!"

"Dude, you're in bed and you're telling me she climbed in there with you? In her bathing suit?"

"N… no. I… I was just messing around, Luke,"

"She's not five anymore, Nate. You can't just 'mess around' and think it's the same thing,"

"Haley will always be Haley," Nathan said a little defensively.

Lucas questioned his brother's tone. Either, he was stuck on the idea that Haley would always be a little girl or… well, he didn't really want to think about the other option.

"Nate, she's three years younger than us. She just graduated elementary school. She's like a freakin' sister to us!" He voiced with exasperation.

"O-kay… what about you and your stupid crush on Peyton? She's the exact same age as Hales,"

"I don't like her like that! And… and even if I did—I wouldn't be pulling her into bed with me to 'mess around'. Plus, I'd wait till she was older… we were older," he stammered.

"You're such a tool, Lucas," Nathan criticized, blowing off his brother's lie and knowing all about his long time crush for the curly-qued blonde.

"This coming from Chester Molester, I think I'm okay with being a tool," Lucas sneered.

"Shut up. I wasn't molesting Haley. Like I said—Haley will always be Haley. You're the only one making it weird! I joke around with her all the time. She's just a kid, anyway," Nathan stated nonchalantly before sliding on a t-shirt.

"Hey, Beavis and Butthead. Ready to go?"

The Scott brothers made eye contact, both wondering the same thing—when did Peyton come upstairs and how much had she heard.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Thank you for all the reviews! I hope you all will like reading this chapter. I know I take forever and a minute to update, but it's so hard to decide what direction you'd like to take a fresh story in. There isn't too much Naley action in this chapter, but I want to get everyone in high school without rushing the story and letting the readers see the characters grow up, Haley especially.

I want to make a quick plug for this really great story that is also, under my fav list – _Love Me, Love Me Not_, by **Tutorial Girl**. It has an excellent plot! I can't wait till she updates… NO PRESSURE! Hee. One more plug – SEASON 5 IS AWESOME!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

Thanks,

Susie

(**Disclaimer:** Everything related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property to its owners, writers, and producers!)

* * *

**CHAPTER 3** – Before I Turn Thirteen

For the longest time, trips to the South Brunswick County public pool had been the next best thing to the beach. Besides, the beach had icky sand and strange water creatures. After getting bit by an unknown sea creature at the age of six, Haley had personally preferred the pool. The sun, clear blue water, friends, and rainbow-colored popsicles were the best. And she still thought so. Except on this particular trip, she wasn't so sure if all those nice things would make up for the fact that she was just too self-conscious about her new swimsuit.

For some reason, Peyton had dragged Haley three whole lawn chairs away from the boys and it seemed that everyone of the twins' classmates were at the pool that day. Haley nonchalantly stole a glance in their direction to find them ambushed by their youth league teammates and other admirers. Her mouth contorted with disappointment as she returned her gaze to the pool ahead.

"Hi, Haley!"

Her view was obstructed by a gangly thirteen-year-old boy by the name of Chris Keller.

"Hi… Chris…" her voice was quiet in contrast to his bright and overly eager tone.

Chris was in the grade above Haley, but had an earlier birthday. Both Peyton and Haley didn't turn twelve until August and even at that, Haley was the youngest by ten days. Always the youngest; always the baby.

Braces shining in all their glory, Chris continued conversation. His crush on Haley James was a known fact and it irritated her to no end. He was shorter than kids his age and his voice always had that Screech-like resemblance. It was not exactly flattering.

"… so, I'll be playing in the guitar ensemble in one year, but until then, my mom says I have to keep playing the clarinet,"

"Sounds cool," she smiled, faking enthusiasm.

"Haley! Haley!"

Peyton came running from the bathroom and only slowed down when an attentive lifeguard blew his whistle.

"Keller, leave Haley alone. Go torture someone else for a change!" Peyton said, making a face.

He eyed the animated blonde viciously and then stalked off.

"Hey crazy, what's wrong?" Haley asked.

"You'll never guess who's here!"

Before her best friend could answer, Haley watched as none other than Brooke Davis and Rachel Gattina exited the changing rooms. The two girls were second cousins from what she heard, but what she did know was that they were at the top of the middle school social hierarchy and would probably continue the legacy into high school. She'd had several run-ins with the girls because they were friends with the Scott brothers. But, it was obvious to Haley that they wanted to be more than friends. She could never really like them because they stood in the way of her romantic ideal of wanting her best friend with Lucas and… herself with Nathan.

Brooke really wasn't so bad. She was elegantly pretty with straight brown hair and one endearing dimple. Although, she had a tendency to be arrogant, Haley still found her beauty and confidence so attractive. Plus, Brooke liked Lucas, so she sat well with Haley. Rachel, on the other hand, had a blatant admiration for Nathan. She was a tall redhead; a little bit on the chubby side, which really wasn't noticed due to her overdeveloped boobs. Unlike her cousin, she had a sour demeanor when it came to girls with the exception of Brooke.

And Haley James could not stand her. Peyton really couldn't either.

"I really wouldn't have minded staying at home today," Haley groaned, watching as the two girls made a beeline for Nathan and Lucas.

* * *

Haley walked past the little group of teenagers, wanting to buy a couple of popsicles from the snack bar. She fixed her eyes forward, refusing to look at Nathan who was too busy being cool, anyway.

"Haley?"

"Hi, Brooke,"

"Hey! I didn't know you were here. Is Peyton here with you too?"

Haley wanted to roll her eyes at the 'I didn't know you were here'. Maybe if she'd take her eyes off the Scott brothers, she would've noticed. She controlled herself, though.

"Yup,"

"That is a really cute bikini! I like it a lot!"

"Thanks," she said.

She took notice of the pink and orange plaid bikini the other girl had. The cut was racier and definitely fit her well. It was a definite contrast to the little cherries and boy shorts of Haley's.

"Yours is nice, too,"

"Thanks. So, you're going into middle school, I hear," she gushed. "Nathan was telling me about it,"

Haley blushed at the mention of Nathan but Brooke didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah. It's no big deal compared to you going to high school,"

"It's still a pretty big deal," Brooke replied with a gentle smile.

The girls continued chatting as they stood in line at the snack bar. Haley bought two popsicles, while Brooke bought a soda, a hot dog, and a strawberry éclair ice cream bar for herself.

Walking back, the two stopped by where the boys were laid out. Haley didn't say anything as she watched Brooke hand her cousin the soda and hot dog.

"Aw, Haley, you shouldn't have," Nathan joked, eyeing one of the popsicles in her hand.

"I didn't," she sneered.

He smirked, laying back into his lawn chair and tucking his hands behind his head. His small circle of friends mirrored Nathan's overconfident attitude and admired the feisty young girl at the same time.

Rachel watched the interaction, disliking that the attention wasn't on her.

"Brooke, where the hell is the relish? You know I always use relish!" The red head whined.

"Uh, you have legs. Why don't you go and get it?"

Brooke linked arms with Haley, showing obvious favoritism and walked to where the other girls were sitting to greet Peyton.

"So are you guys really related?" Haley asked with sarcasm in her tone.

"Unfortunately. Anyway, she's actually not so horrible. She just likes to be mean for show," she explained.

"Hey, Peyton!" Brooke greeted.

"Hello," She replied goofily. "What was all that yelling about… relish?"

"Don't worry about it. So, after we finish, do you guys want to get in the pool? I think we have five minutes until break is over and I haven't even gone in the pool, yet,"

"Thanks, Hales," Peyton said and took the popsicle. "You haven't gone in the pool? What's the point of coming here?" she asked, considerably confused.

"Besides the boys?" she giggled, while the other girls remained quiet. They weren't as quite open about their newly discovered affection towards the male species. "I've been tanning," she reasoned.

"My mom says you tan quicker in the pool, because of the sunlight that reflects in the water," Haley supplied, while greedily licking away her melting treat.

The brunette's eyes widened as if she'd heard the world's best kept secret.

* * *

The summer break breezed by faster than it should have, to no surprise. The girls were beautifully tanned from many days spent poolside and at the beach. Their minds were free of vocabulary lists and multiplication tables. Haley continued to grow her beach blonde waves out, while Peyton cut hers short.

Their birthdays were celebrated together with a barbeque in the James' backyard with Mr. Sawyer and the Scotts invited as well. Mrs. Scott was the only one who came, along with the twins, themselves. They left early that evening to go jogging with their dad and it was then that Haley realized that there would be no more midnight runs of manhunt, movie nights and sleepovers. Haley and Peyton grew closer and slowly, the girls found themselves distant from the two boys they had grown up with. They were busy training for basketball tryouts with their father. And with Lucas and Nathan entering a pivotal phase in their lives, Haley didn't want to try anymore. She was busy with her own life; her own phase.

Overall, the most exciting news was that Peyton had grown another inch and half and that after much deliberation, Haley had finally decided to get her ears pierced. Of course, she hadn't turned thirteen yet and according to Jimmy and Lydia James, it just wasn't going to happen.

"_Hales, look at this!" Peyton squealed, while sifting through worn record sleeves._

_Haley walked over, through the dimly lit music store, rolling her eyes at yet another finding that had her girlfriend's attention. According to Peyton, just about everything and anything in the store was a good find. It got annoying at times._

_The young cashier, donning numerous piercings, warily watched the two adolescents as they approached counter. He grunted as a sort of greeting, taking the vinyl record from the taller girl's hand._

"_That'll be twenty-five," He finally mumbled._

_Haley watched his mouth intrigued by the ring laced through the right corner of his bottom lip. She also took note of all five piercings along both of his ears. She pouted to herself, remembering her parents' strict rules about Haley getting her ears pierced. The James' had decided that when she turned thirteen she would be mature enough to take care of her ears. Yet, here was this high school boy with probably 15 piercings and earrings in total and she was a girl with none._

_As Peyton fumbled with her allowance earnings in her coin purse, she heard the cashier boy say, "What are ya lookin' at, little girl,"_

_Glancing over at her best friend, she noticed that she looked flushed and a bit embarrassed._

"_Nothing," Haley gulped._

_It was around lunch time. Standing outside of the music store, the two girls waited for an opening to cross the street._

"_Were you staring at his piercings?" Peyton probed._

"_N… no. Maybe… yes." Looking away, she stared down the road, hoping the cars would stop passing by. She counted – five, six, seven; after the eighth car she returned her attention to Peyton. "What?" She asked peeved by the way she looked at her._

"_I have an idea!"_

_Haley was reluctant as the suddenly excited blonde took her hand, heading towards the pharmacy._

_The next morning, Haley's ears were swollen, sore, and there had been a small bloodstain on her pillowcase. Peyton had said that if she wanted earrings so badly, they could just do it at home. Sometimes, she hated that girl._

_That evening during dinner, Peyton was nowhere to be found for moral support. Haley's fingers itched to tuck her hair behind her ears, but that was impossible. So, she ate spaghetti with her hair draping her small face, fearful that her parents might see what she was hiding. The James found her quiet demeanor unsettling and began an inquisitive conversation with their daughter._

"_Haley-bub, what's the matter?" Lydia asked her little girl._

"_Nothing," she quickly replied._

"_She's probably just having the back-to-school blues, right, Bub?" Jimmy teasingly said. "When's school start? In about a week?"_

"_Mm hmm,"_

"_Haley, get your hair out of your face. Unless your hair is that tasty," Lydia joked._

"_No. I'm okay," she murmured, noodles in her mouth._

_Lydia sighed in a motherly fashion, leaning forward and tucking the hair behind her daughter's ears for her._

"_Oh… my… Lord,"_

_Mrs. James stared sympathetically at her daughter, finally figuring out the reason to her strange behavior. Tiny cubic zirconium studs nestled in Haley's earlobes appeared even tinier, surrounded by puffy, irritated skin. She was upset, of course, but laughter began to bubble in her throat. Watching her husband's eyes bulge at the discovery, pushed her over the edge. He was soon to follow._

_Haley watched with watery eyes as her parents made a mockery of her freshly pierced ears. She knew they were ugly, but Peyton said the redness and puffiness would go away. The couple quickly stopped, noticing that their daughter hadn't been laughing with them._

"_Oh, I'm sorry… it's just –"_

"_It's not funny, Mom," she sadly said, holding back tears._

"_No, it's not. What's funny is how stubborn you are and how much you're like your Mama,"_

"_When I was fifteen, because Grandma Beauregard made us girls wait till we were sixteen, might I add, your Aunt Vivian pierced my ears for me," she said with a smile._

(**Author's note:** I know that Vivian was one of Haley's older siblings on the show, but I thought I'd incorporate the name, anyway. Since in this AU story, Haley is an only child. I don't really like making up characters.)

"_Na ah! Daddy, did you know that, too?" Haley asked, instantly perking up._

"_Haha, yes, I did. The funny thing is that I told your Mama that what goes around; comes around," He said lovingly, in the direction of his wife._

_Haley saw that the fun family moment was over and cringed at her parents making googly eyes at one another. Her father leaned towards her mother, and planted a soft kiss on her lips._

"_Ew, you guys. My eyes are burning!" Haley joked._

"_So, Bub, where is the infamous Ms. Sawyer, this evening? Wasn't there another sleepover planned?" Lydia slyly asked._

"_Um… yeah. But… her… dad wanted her to stay home tonight!"_

"_Uh huh. Do you want me to call Mr. Larry to let her sleepover, anyway?"_

"_Um… no. It's okay,"_

"_Haley Marie James,"_

"_Okay! Okay! Peyton didn't want to sleepover, so she wouldn't get in trouble because she did my ears for me!" Haley blurted out._

* * *

Sitting on the bus along with their peers, Haley shook her right leg nervously. She peeked through the window, memorizing her new bus route to school. She glanced over at Peyton, who usually slept on the bus and sure enough, she was wide awake.

"I'm so nervous," Peyton admitted.

"You're never nervous. Don't be nervous… if you're nervous, then I'll be nervous times ten,"

"It's just so different – lockers, gym uniforms, seven different teachers, and plus we have to go to school with all the kids from West View Elementary!"

"I know… but, we'll be okay. Besides, think about Lucas and Nathan. They have it like a million times worse,"

"That does make me feel a little bit better,"

The two girls giggled, feeling more comfortable, safer that they had each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** I appreciate all the supportive comments and demands for an update! I love 'em all! And a special thanks to those who are subscribing to this story and adding it as your favorite. Again, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. And as always I hope that you'll enjoy! (**Disclaimer:** Anything related to television series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property to its owners, writers, and producers.)

Susie

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CHAPTER 4 – Hopeful Wishing

The only thing more confusing than having to learn the labyrinth of hallways of a new school was having seven different teachers with seven different classrooms. This had been quite the struggle for Haley James. And as thrilled as she had been about her acceptance into the Gifted and Talented program, it just wasn't the same without her best friend who was taking the regular core classes. Fortunately, they did have forty-five minutes of lunch together; the entire school did.

Haley pulled out her brown bagged lunch. She was starving and judging by the bulkiness of her bag, her mom had done well.

Ten minutes had passed. Sitting by herself, she had already scarfed down her ham and cheese sandwich and apple slices her mom had packed. At the other end of the rectangle table sat a group of about five or six girls who hardly threw her a glance. She'd look up in between bites hoping to see those familiar blonde curls bouncing up and down and when she didn't, her line of sight fell upon the same group of girls. She did this back and forth, until she'd notice little things like how every single one wore name brand clothing. One of them with pink braces seemed to be the group leader. While talking she would theatrically wave around her hands seemingly entrancing the rest of the girls. The tips of her fingers were decorated in pink polish matching the inset of her braces. Haley shuddered at that.

"Haley?"

Haley snapped out of it and recognized the voice.

"Hi, Chris." She looked up him at and caught a glimpse of his metallic mouth. She instantly thought of that girl; the leader.

"Where's stick girl?" He inquired while grabbing a seat beside her.

"She has a name,"

"Yeah – I know."

Haley looked around, praying that her best friend would suddenly appear out of thin air. Instead, she saw those same girls now looking in her direction with smiles on their faces. She smiled back with a small chance of hope inside of her that maybe… they would save her from Keller. The expression on her face faded when the girls broke into fits of laughter that seemed aimed at her.

"What are you laughing at, Carrie?!" Chris maliciously yelled in their direction.

The girls were silenced, mortified by confrontation.

"Yeah, what were they laughing at?" Suddenly, Peyton appeared with a tray of food eyeing the other end of the table with curiosity.

"Where have you been?" Haley demanded to know.

Peyton's curiosity was now directed at her best friend. "Temper, temper, Haley James,"

"Whatever,"

Noticing Haley's sour mood and Peyton's sudden arrival, Chris pushed his chair back ready to leave. "Well, I think I should get—"

"You don't have to go," Haley said softly. It was her way of saying 'thanks' without having to actually say it.

"I knew you'd give in one day," He teased, gladly scooting his seat back in, one inch closer to Haley.

"Hales, are you okay?" Peyton quietly probed as she sat down. She decided that her usual banter with Chris didn't seem quite appropriate at the moment.

"I wasn't before… it's just… I was waiting for you and I didn't think you'd ever show. That's all."

"Oh… sorry. The lunch line took forever – that's why,"

"I'm sorry, too. I know it wasn't your fault. It just sucks when no one sits with you… I was eating by myself. And then those stupid girls started laughing at me for no reason,"

"What? Why? Is that why Chris yelled at them?" Peyton asked, her defensiveness kicking in.

"Haley, don't worry about those girls. They're in my grade." Chris informed. "It's probably because they know that you're a seventh grader, no offense. They're just jealous that you get to hang out with the Keller," he joked.

"Or maybe they were laughing at _you_." Peyton pointed out sarcastically while rolling her eyes. "But seriously, some of the eighth graders have real problems. When I was putting stuff away before lunch, some pudgy eighth grader slammed my locker shut and yelled, 'Sevie!' I thought I had anger issues…"

Haley felt better. Not because Peyton had to take that crap but because somehow that girl always knew exactly how she felt. She was always right there beside her.

"Peyton, everyone is 'pudgy' compared to you. I mean, look at you – you're stick girl!" Chris exasperated in a mocking manner.

"Oh, okay. Because you're such a beefy macho man! I could snap you in two!" Peyton seethed back, settling right into character after having apologized to her best friend.

Haley zoned out for a few seconds. Surprisingly enough, the usual back and forth between Peyton and Chris was a comforting background noise that returned normalcy to her hectic day. She couldn't ever imagine not having this. She couldn't help but notice that at the other end of the table a few of those superficial girls were now staring in their direction with a bit of wanting, maybe jealously. It could've been the fact that they had a boy at their table or maybe because Peyton had showed up with her beautiful blonde curls and long legs. Most likely, it was because they saw honest friendship and at the ages of thirteen, they had yet to discover it themselves.

* * *

The first week of school had ended and the weekend had arrived.

"I'm bored." Peyton huffed and shoved a magazine away from her, watching it slide across the hardwood floor.

"Don't you have any homework to do or something?" Haley craned her neck over her shoulder while sitting at her desk. She could use a break from prefixes and suffixes anyway.

"Puh-lease… I have like one worksheet. And that's what Sundays are for… duh."

Haley turned around completely in her swivel-seat, dropping the pencil from her hand onto the desk. "Church is what Sundays are for. Anyway, you should do it now so you don't have to think about it for the rest of the weekend."

Peyton ignored her friend's comment; it wasn't exactly a solution to her boredom. "Want to go to the mall and get new earrings? We can get you those cool hoop ones,"

"You… need to stay away from my ears. And I promised my mom I wouldn't wear those until my thirteenth birthday, at least."

"Oh, because that turned out so well last time," Peyton rolled her eyes.

Haley was quiet and wondered where her friend's mood was coming from. It probably had something to do with her dad but she didn't ask. Not yet, anyway. Sometimes with Peyton, it was best to wait things out. She watched as her friend stood up, paced around the bedroom and eventually ended up at the window.

"Hey. Luke and Nate are playing basketball outside. Let's go harass them!" Haley's ears perked at this. "Oh my God! Is that Carrie and Theresa?!"

Immediately, Haley was standing next to Peyton peeking out her bedroom window. Later on during the week, the two friends had figured out that they'd seen Carrie and her posse before – in their own neighborhood. During the summer even, she remembered a trio of giggly girls that had stopped by three times in two weeks at the Scott's home. One of those days, Haley had answered the door while the twins were occupied with a video game. And then it suddenly made sense where Carrie's animosity was coming from that day in the cafeteria.

"Hi, Nathan… Lucas." Carrie's lips curled unevenly into a strange smile.

"Hey," Lucas greeted, always the friendly one, as his brother ran the perfect layup. Nathan caught the ball as it fell through the hoop and nodded in the general direction of the girls.

"What are you guys up to?" Theresa asked, wanting to involve herself in the conversation as well.

The twins looked at one another and at the basketball in Nathan's hands. "Um… we're just playing a game." Nathan answered dully.

"Can we watch?" Carrie said as more of a statement than as a question. She laced her arm through Theresa's and led the way to the nearby bench.

"Whatever floats your boat…" Nathan muttered, throwing another clean shot straight through the net.

The two girls seemed pleased as they watched the continued game of light one-on-one. They began whispering amongst themselves in clear observance of the brothers.

"LUUUCASSSSS!" The boys paused in the middle of a shuffle, Nathan still gripping the ball with his life. They saw Peyton running across street, followed by Lucas being nearly pummeled over in the process. Nathan smiled seeing the quieter of the two, checking either side of her before crossing the street.

"Jesus! It'd be nice if you gave me a fair warning when you're about to tackle me next time!" Lucas exasperated regaining his balance in the meantime.

"I did. Don't tell me you didn't hear me scream your name? Don't be such a wuss." Peyton joked with him and glanced over her shoulder at the two girls from school. They sat still, unsure of what to do.

"Hey, Hales." Lucas said before stealing the ball from an unsuspecting Nathan. The darker haired twin grimaced, realizing his focus had been elsewhere.

"Something looks different about you…" Nathan looked at his neighbor, narrowing his eyes. He didn't really care about the game right now. Out of nervous habit, Haley tucked her hair behind her ears. "You got your ears pierced. They look nice."

She blushed. He had noticed. "Thanks. Peyton did 'em for me."

He smirked at that and then with a look of concern he said, "Just don't go and pierce anything else now, okay?"

"But Nate, didn't you see the belly button ring I gave her?" Peyton asked, wanting to get a rise out of her least favorite twin.

Nathan gasped involuntarily. Immediately he grabbed the hem of Haley's shirt and pulled it up shocking everyone, including Haley herself. Embarrassed by the whole ordeal, Haley distanced herself and pulled her shirt back down. Both Nathan and Haley gave a look to the unruly blonde.

She shrugged her shoulders; her sense of humor was old news by now. "I was just joking. Sorry, Haley." To the boy she had tricked though, she simply stuck out her tongue.

One of the girls scoffed from where they were seated at the bench, grabbing Peyton's attention. She found Carrie on the edge of her seat holding the arm of the chair stiffly, probably from having to watch Nathan and Haley's interaction.

"You're Carrie, right?"

"What's it to you?" Carrie shot right back, staring evenly at the blonde-haired tomboy.

"You're that bitch that laughed at Haley during lunch because you thought you were being cool. And you pushed her in the hall, knocking her books out of her hands, too, didn't you? All on the first day of school! Yeah, I'm right… you are that bitch."

Haley winced. She never liked it when Peyton cursed and she certainly didn't like the fact that she'd blurted out some embarrassing things that had happened at school. In front of Nathan, no less. So, she did what seemed like an instant solution in the mind of a shy and naturally gentle-hearted twelve-year-old. She ran.

Carrie and Theresa were now standing up with horrified looks on their faces. And officially, Peyton Sawyer was number one on their hate list. Carrie's mouth opened, her pink braces catching the sun. She was stunned speechless and as insulting as this girl had been – the worst part was that she was humiliated in front of Nathan Scott and mistaken (in her opinion) for the bad guy.

"You guys should go home," Lucas firmly said.

"I'm going to go find Haley…" Peyton said. Her feeling of victory against the two eighth grade girls was short-lived as she had watched her best friend run away.

"I'm going to go find her… I think you've done enough." With that said, Nathan ran off in the direction of where Haley had been headed just a few fleeting seconds before.

* * *

"You always were the worst hider when we played hide-and-seek." Nathan came forward, joining Haley at the picnic table. His joke was met with silence and the similar pattern of their ragged breaths. He propped his elbows onto the table and sat backwards staring at the ever popular river court. It had seen its years but it was still a community favorite.

She still hadn't answered and sat in the opposite direction, her face nestled into her arms against the table. Haley stared into the grain of the worn wood watching as a miniature pond formed from her tears. He turned and tucked his legs under the bench to match her. "Hey." He touched her shoulder and she finally looked up with a tear stained face. "Come here." He put his arm around her small frame bringing her closer to him. She gave up; not really willing to lean into him but when he coaxed her towards him she did not resist.

She pulled away and reluctantly he let her. He looked at her, suddenly startled by the cold expression on her face. It struck a nerve. He'd never seen such a look on her face and he realized that the four-year-old Haley James they'd met and this one that he was meeting now were two entirely different people.

"Sorry about earlier… your shirt…" He sort of stumbled on his apology, his mind still reeling.

"It's okay. Peyton just loves scaring the crap out of people, doesn't she?" Her voice was hollow.

"Don't be mad at her. She was trying to protect you – even if she does it in a… different way."

"'Different' is one way of putting it." She responded in between sniffles. "It's not exactly cool for everyone to know that people are picking on you at school. I don't… I don't know why… well, I do know why, but… seriously, why do they have to be like that?" Nathan chuckled slightly, wiping the tears from her eyes with the hem of his shirt. "I know that Peyton's just trying to protect me, but she does it in such a… such a mean way and she doesn't care if it embarrasses me."

"Hey, you have nothing to be embarrassed about… not in front of Luke and me. I'm glad Peyton said something. I don't really like those girls. _But, I do like you_."

* * *

Peyton had been sitting on the curb for the past few minutes never looking away from the direction her friends had gone. She kept looking for their two figures to come around the bend at the intersection of River Forest and Oak. Listening to the steady rhythm of Luke's dribbling, she leaned back onto her palms and for a small second she let her lids flutter shut. She forced her eyes open as pacifying as the bouncing of the ball was.

"Why do you have to be so…" Lucas' words drifted into the warm autumn air. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he had been trying to say. But the fact that it hadn't been verbally stated didn't make it hurt less.

"Haley doesn't know when to stand up for herself, so I did it."

"That's bull and you know it." His voice was calm but that was when he was most angry.

Her back was still to him but now she sat up straight, her arms tightly crossed over her chest. She didn't fight his words.

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. I just know that she's not the type of person to call anyone out on their mistakes. Haley's just too nice to people and those girls deserved what they got,"

"It doesn't mean that you have to be twice as mean. The reason why Haley is what you say 'too nice to people' is because she's forgiving. She's a lot more forgiving than you… than me… than a lot of other people I know. But I know you're better than that too, Peyton. Only really bad people will do bad things unintentionally. They don't know any better. But most people know how to become a bad person by making the wrong choice… saying the wrong things. And it's like you do it on purpose. That's what makes it worse."

"How do you know if I know the difference between good and bad? Right and wrong? You have a mom and a dad and even a brother who'll tell you! I have no one! My mom dying… was that good or bad? My dad being gone for another whole month because that's his job; is that right or wrong?! I don't know, Lucas! Why don't you tell me?"

* * *

Haley looked up at him, trying to hide the surprise on her face. He smiled at her, but the look he gave her wasn't anything more than how he usually looked at her.

"And if anyone bothers you, boy or girl, I'll have to teach 'em a lesson." He pounded a fist into his left hand for emphasis flashing a cheeky grin.

The effect of his previous words washed away when she realized that he hadn't meant them like she wished he had meant them.

"Thanks, Nathan." Haley said softly, now also embarrassed that she could think that Nathan would ever like her as more than his kid neighbor.

He smiled at her sheepishly never one to take gratitude easily. Standing up from the bench, he took her hand in his and helped her up. "Let's go home."

She stood up and until they reached her front porch, he never did let go of her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** That was fast, huh? For me anyway. Thank you readers and reviewers! I hope people can relate to the quirky and oddly reminiscent situations, hee! Enjoy!

Susie

(**Disclaimer:** Everything/anything related to the CW series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property of its owners, writers, and producers.)

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CHAPTER 5 – High School Parties

"So you guys are the Scott brothers that have Whitey's panties in a twist, huh?"

Lucas narrowed his eyes at the upperclassman before him. He was proudly sporting his basketball letterman while precariously holding onto a plastic red cup. An emblem of the letter 'C' was ironed on the front. He looked to his side to find his brother in a similar state, quietly seething. As foolish as his younger twin could be sometimes, Nathan knew better than to test this unmarked territory that belonged to the senior classmen and their beloved varsity basketball team. The entire starting line-up was flocked around them ironically familiar to a pack of ravens impatiently waiting for their chance to pick at fresh road kill.

"Leave them alone, Quentin."

A girl walked by shrugging past the varsity captain and rolled her eyes at the dramatics of it all. He smiled spitefully at her as she came through before palming her rear for all to see. His teammates hooted and hollered pleased by the crude action. Both boys were appalled by what had just happened but remained still, inwardly hoping that the jerk before them wasn't the one they'd become by their senior year.

For a brief moment she looked embarrassed as her eyes met Nathan's. But what she did next surprised everyone. Turning on her heel she stepped close to her aggressor with a sensual smile on her glossed lips.

"You like that, baby?"

The senior boys continued their Neanderthal chants, enthralled by her response. Then, she grabbed straight for his groin and based on the look of Quentin's face, it wasn't meant to pleasure him.

"Ow! Shit, Nikki, get the hell off of me!"

"But don't you like it, baby?" She said loudly over his shouting. "I thought this is how you like it! Rough and hard!"

She tightened her grip and all the boys, including Lucas and Nathan turned away, groaning in disapproval as Quentin's voice seemed to escalate an octave.

"You ever touch me like that again and well… you know what happens." She licked her lips in a feline-like manner.

"Bitch!" He yelled, hunched over in pain.

"Prick." Her retort was much calmer. "If you still have one… that is."

The audience had about doubled in size in the living room and most had broken into laughter, including a few of the varsity players. One of his teammates helped his injured friend to a seat on the couch while the Scott twins walked away in awe and in relief.

* * *

On the very evening that Peyton had unintentionally embarrassed Haley, the two best friends had made up once again. Lucas and Peyton's relationship, on the other hand, was at a standstill. For the next few weeks, she avoided at all costs anything that had to do with the Scott brothers. She didn't divulge much to Haley simply because it was a reminder of that awful night.

"Hey, Peyt?"

Peyton stopped sketching and examined her work as her best friend French braided her curly locks. "Hmm?"

"This probably sounds really stupid and if it does... just… just ignore it. I was wondering, when you go to high school do you _have_ to go to parties?"

"I… don't think so. Well, you don't _have_ to do anything. No one can _make_ you do anything you don't want to, remember that Hales." Peyton firmly answered. The scratching sound of her drawing pencil continued once again.

"So, the people that don't go… what do you think they do when a party is going on?"

"Braid hair and draw." Peyton blandly replied. Haley had finished by tying the end of the braid and was suddenly quiet. Finished with her sketch, Peyton sat up and found her friend in pensive thought. "Why are you all curious about high school parties? It's not like we'll be invited to one anytime soon…"

"It's… uh… nothing." Haley got up from the bed drawing away attention from the topic at hand. "You want a snack? I'm kind of hungry."

"Does this have something to do with Nathan and Lucas? By the way, you suck at lying."

Haley turned around with a pained look on her face. "I know… it's just that you and Lucas aren't really talking… so I didn't want to talk about him but—"

"But, nothing. You can tell me anything. And I know that it's not Lucas you want to talk about."

Haley didn't blush like she normally did. Instead a stormy look flashed in her eyes. "They went to a party. Lucas told me because he was excited and a little nervous. Nathan was acting all cool and wouldn't talk about it. He said that I'll find out in a few years."

"Jerk. Haley, high school parties are nothing more than beer, sluts, and really loud music. Just like in the movies, except without the romance and happy ending."

"I know but that's what I'm afraid of. Do you think that Nathan… likes… sluts?"

Peyton blanched at that and it worried her that her best friend was falling face first into a crush. A serious crush. She'd known for a long time about Haley's affection for her older neighbor but thought she would've gotten over it by now. But that didn't seem to be the case.

The worst part was that something had been sitting heavy with her… something that Nathan had said. During the summer break, she'd overhead a conversation between the twins.

"_Nate, she's three years younger than us. She just graduated elementary school. She's like a freakin' sister to us!"_

"_O-kay… what about you and your stupid crush on Peyton? She's the exact same age as Hales,"_

"_I don't like her like that! And… and even if I did – I wouldn't be pulling her into bed with me to 'mess around'. Plus, I'd wait till she was older… we were older,"_

"_You're such a tool, Lucas,"_

"_This coming from Chester Molester, I think I'm okay with being a tool,"_

"_Shut up. I wasn't molesting Haley. Like I said – Haley will always be Haley. You're the only one making it weird! I joke around with her all the time. She's just a kid, anyway,"_

She hadn't had the heart to tell Haley.

"Do you really like him that much, Hales?"

"No."

Peyton crossed her arms over her chest with an unsatisfied look on her face. "Then, why does it matter if Nathan likes sluts?"

* * *

"Lucas! Nathan!" The boys smiled at the sight of a familiar face.

Brooke strode over looking particularly friendly with rosy cheeks and a beer bottle in her hand.

"Are you guys having fun?" She asked staring squarely at the blonde twin.

"Not really." Nathan replied, swirling around the cheap beer in his cup.

"We had sort of a run in with the varsity captain." Lucas informed her, sticking his chest out a little.

"Really? Are you okay?" The dimpled brunette rested her hand on his arm. Now she was making her focus on Luke just blatant.

Nathan sighed. What a suck fest.

"Yeah, we're fine." His brother answered. The conversation seemed to be dwindling. "So, who'd you come with?"

"You know Bevin, right? Well we came with her older sister – she's a junior and on the varsity cheerleading squad!"

"Oh, well where's your cousin? You guys are always together."

Brooke's smile shifted at Lucas' question and she answered in a bored tone. "She has a medical condition. To say the least, she moved back home to live with her mom and step-dad, they live in New York."

Now Nathan was intrigued. "That was random." Somewhat.

"It was a last-minute decision. You want to dance, Luke?"

Nathan watched the two go with a bit of envy and regret. Who the hell was he supposed to 'mingle' with? Besides the varsity team that wanted to 'mingle' his face into the floor, of course. Speaking of – Quentin and his followers had just entered the basement. Nathan decided to slip out onto patio or wherever the sliding door led him to.

He scrunched his nose at a strange odor as he walked past a small group of people landing him in a solitary spot on the back lawn. He polished off the rest of his beer, crushed the cup in his hand and dropped it on the ground.

"Impressive."

He nearly jumped at the sultry voice and was even more surprised to see the face that came with it. He cleared his throat not knowing what to say. She smiled at his shyness before pulling something out of her purse.

"So you and that blonde boy are twins, I hear." She lit a cigarette while throwing out small talk. She offered him one by gesturing to her pack of Newport's.

_Boy_. He ignored the term and the offer. "Yeah. We're twins. Um… thanks – for earlier."

"For what? Getting my ass grabbed at? Nooo problem." Her tone was sarcastic but that seemed to be her default tone of voice.

"Sorry about just… kind of standing there."

"Aw, don't worry freshman. It's enough that Q's afraid of you taking his spot on the team once he leaves. We don't need to give him any more reasons to hate you." She took another puff, blowing out ringlets into the evening air. "I'm Nikki, by the way."

"I know. I'm Nathan."

"I know."

He was a little taken back by her assertive manner. Well, it wasn't that it was the first time a girl was so straight forward with him but she was older.

"Are you a senior?"

"I should be." She was just full of surprises.

"So… you're a junior?"

"Yeah. I kind of got kicked out of Tree Hill, so I go to Pontiac now."

"If you go to Pontiac, how the hell do you know who Lucas and I are?"

"Who said anything about a Lucas?" She smirked devilishly. "I'm kidding. Actually, you know Jake Jagielski, right?"

Nathan nodded, once again surprised that this fascinating girl knew Jake. They had played on the same team for youth league and he had landed on JV, just like him. He was also a freshman.

"We're together. He's here at the party, actually. He mentioned you guys were good friends. You know, boyfriend-girlfriend talk?"

Nathan felt his ego deflate a little, that having spent the past few minutes with this stranger had meant absolutely nothing. In fact, he was a little resentful. "A little young, don't you think?"

Nikki observed him with amusement clearly etched on her face. "Aren't you guys in the same grade?"

"I'm 15. My brother and I started school late."

"So is Jake. Anyway, he's a big boy where it counts. If you know what I mean." She winked causing the lower classman to redden slightly. "Nice talking to you, Nathan Scott." She flicked her cigarette further out into the backyard and retreated back towards the house.

* * *

"I'm just worried for him, that's all." Haley answered. Her voice wavered for a short second.

Peyton snapped her sketchbook shut with finality. "Fine. Hales, you know what? If you're just going to keep lying to me, even though I'm your best friend, I don't care. I think I'm just going to go home. Then, you can _pretend_ that you don't like Nathan, by yourself."

"What the heck, Peyton? Why are you getting mad if I do or don't like Nathan?" Haley replied with just as much anger. And then her voice softened. "You… you don't like him, do you?"

"Ugh… see! See what I mean? You do like him!"

"Shut up!" Haley blurted out, her face now crimson.

"Girls? What is going on here?" Lydia James stood at the bedroom entrance. She had an expectant look on her face with a tinge of irritation. "Haley James. You know better than to talk to anyone that way."

She was met by silence from the two girls.

"It's not Haley's fault, Mrs. James. I said something mean… once again."

Haley felt bad hearing this because the truth was… well, the truth was it didn't matter how much she thought about Nathan, how much she liked him. He'd never see her the same way.

"Sorry, Hales." Peyton's apology threw her off. Considering how close they were, Peyton wasn't afraid to tell it like it was. With the exception of the whole ear piercing debacle, she took the blame if it was her fault and Haley took the blame when it was hers. That was the solid basis of their relationship.

"Um, it's okay." Haley muttered.

"I think I want to go home. Mrs. James, could you take me home please?" Peyton lowered her eyes away from having to face Haley.

"Are you sure, sweetie?" Seeing the young girl nod her head in affirmation, Lydia sighed. "Alright, be ready in five minutes, dear." She stepped out of the room.

Haley watched her friend packing her knick-knacks and dropping them in her overnight bag. Not once did she look up or say a word. Before exiting the room she handed her a piece of the paper, the drawing she had been working so diligently on.

"I'm just worried for you, Hales. That's all." She repeated Haley's earlier words.

Peyton had sketched the very photograph propped on the vanity. It was of them, smiling in swimsuits at Wrightsville Beach the summer before third grade. It was a time in their lives when they thought that everything in life was perfect. That very school year was when Ellie Sawyer was diagnosed with cancer.

* * *

"Nate. How's it going, my man?"

"Antwon!" Nathan chirped excitedly. He wrenched himself away from the arms of some sophomore named… damn, he forgot her name. He'd been working on his fifth beer for the night.

Nathan recalled meeting him at the basketball tryouts and he was definitely one of the cooler varsity team members. He wasn't exactly first string because he was only a sophomore. The other boy chuckled picking up on Nathan's current state of mind. "The name is Skills. Nobody calls me Antwon, except for maybe my Nana. And bro, you must be drunk out your damn mind because I know you did not just walk away from that fine piece right there. Mm!"

His words ran right past Nathan. "Have you seen Lucas? My brother?"

"Yeah… yeah. That dude was even more twisted than you are. But he left with… a couple of cheerleaders, I think."

"Shit."

"Nathan, you want to go upstairs?" The blonde sophomore apparently hadn't gotten the message the first time around. She made herself cozy by latching onto his arm, making sure that her breasts were against him. Looking over at her, he found his eyes transfixed on her wavy hair and for a fleeting second, it reminded him of Haley.

Skills watched the look on Nathan's face at her suggestion. "You need a ride home? I'm the official but unofficial DD."

He blinked and his sudden thoughts dispersed as quickly as they had come.

* * *

Haley lay in bed wide awake. She snuck a glance at the alarm clock for what seemed the hundredth time that night. It read 12:59. Lately, it seemed that she and Peyton were fighting more and more. Just like Haley wouldn't talk about Nathan… Peyton never seemed to talk about her parents anymore. And it was hurting them more than they knew.

Nathan. She wondered what he was up to right now. She hoped and prayed he wasn't occupied with any… sluts. Swallowing a lump that had formed in the back of her throat she changed her position again, this time rolling to her side.

1:01. She sighed deciding that maybe humming her favorite song would help her fall asleep. She hummed her version of a Sheryl Crow song when all a sudden, there was a light tapping sound… at her window. Haley gasped frightened by the noise but it was probably a tree branch or a squirrel or something of that nature. Her eyes were squeezed shut for she refused to look out the window not the least bit interested in finding out exactly what _it_ was. But it got louder and more incessant. Finally Haley let one eye open and gasped once again finding an actual person, crouching down on their legs. Peyton!

Crawling out of bed, she tip-toed her way over to the window. She smiled finding it so odd for her friend to climb the roof to get into her room. But the two girls had done it before, once, when they snuck out and snuck back in on a late summer night for a neighborhood-organized game of manhunt.

She slid the window open immediately and nearly fell back when she saw that it hadn't been who she thought it was.

"Nathan?"


End file.
